Five Takeaways: "Learning from learning assessments to leave no one behind", The REAL Centre at the University of Cambridge

One of the perks of living in Cambridge, England, is that it allows you access to a number of conferences, lectures and discussions with thinkers and researchers that produce work having actual impact on both national and international policy. On 15 June, I had the opportunity to attend “Learning from learning assessments to leave no one behind”, an all-day conference held by The Research for Equitable Access and Learning (REAL) Centre at the University of Cambridge. The question of the day was: “how can test scores and research data, specifically those collected to assess the education levels, systems and initiatives in developing countries, be used to create better policies and practices that support overall development goals?” The conversation was engrossing, and centered on how and why assessments are effective, 1) in the analysis of global development; and, 2) in informing policy makers and practitioners on how to improve current practices in education.

Here are my 5 takeaways from the conference:

1. Everything is relative. Every individual student comes into the educational system affected by a set of variables that are relative to their individual circumstances, and therefore, there is no “cure-all” to ensure that each student gets the same and the most out of their learning experience. An example of this would be the fallacy that it is more equitable to spend the same about of money on each student. Each student arrives to the classroom with an educational level that has been defined by what has happened outside the classroom, for example, a child from a well-off family having access to extra-curricular learning activities as opposed to a child from a working class family who is unable to access the same activity for the economic capabilities of his or her parents. Budgeting the same financial resources for each of these students creates even more social disparity, as they have not started the education race out of the same starting block. It is critical to avoid intellectual and political fads that suggest there is one universal way via a simple policy fix in order to correct education practices, especially as external factors often affect the results of educational assessments. This might seem obvious but it is often overlooked in an effort to be politically correct or maintain equality over equity.
2. Invest in the future. The ability to teach first generation learners is critical, as it often results in a positive socioeconomic change for the student, their families and at times their community at-large. First generation learners have special needs. It is often the case that they do not receive the support needed outside of the classroom to achieve their learning goals, as their parents and caregivers cannot provide for it. A larger investment in teacher training is necessary in order for teachers to support the learning objectives of these students, as well as to support the student’s family in their child’s educational pursuits.
3. Quality control. Is the learning crisis about access to education or about the quality of schools? In one developing country, 50% of girls can’t read after 5 years of schooling. There is an obvious difference between being in school and schooling, as concluded by the Center for Global Development. The ability to attend school is not the same thing as receiving an education. We must aspire to impart the most relevant information and skills to students so that there is a positive outcome to their education.
4. The power of Data. Unfortunately, and as any communications professional knows, data can be construed any which way in order to promote and support any political agenda. Therefore, researchers must endeavor to provide evidence along with data so that politicians and practitioners are able to contextualize the information and use it to create educational policies and practices that achieve better outcomes for students, teachers, and families. Data has the power to illuminate the issues and to clarify success as well as challenges not just in policy, but inside the classroom as well. Providing contextualized research to administrators, teachers, parents and students as a means of encouragement and inspiration could have a huge impact on the outcomes of our educational systems.
5. Think outside the classroom. These issues are not educational issues alone. Education plays a major role in the social, economic and political development of a country. Research and learning assessments provide clear evidence of positive externalities resulting from education, especially in the developing world. For example, as the literacy rate of girls in developing countries increases, the rate of infant mortality decreases. We must link education goals to the overall goals of sustainable development in order to create greater equity worldwide.

There is hardly anyone who would deny the idea that no child should be left behind in the pursuit of his or her education. With this in mind, policy makers and practitioners must take a long look into the evidence and data being collected globally to ensure that all children in all locations are receiving the schooling needed, based upon their community’s culture and their personal circumstance, to achieve what is necessary, in order to promote equality of opportunity and equity in the educational process.